East Haddam gears up for comedy event

Published 12:00 am, Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Hale-Ray High School's Tri-M Honor Society is holding auditions this Friday to find the funniest person in East Haddam.

Rose-Marie Evans, the school's music director, came up with the idea - although in keeping with the spirit of the exercise she admitted, "I can't say what actually sparked the idea."

If she is not sure of the what behind the idea, Evans is definitely sure of the why, however.

She has arranged an overnight trip for the school's band and chorus to New York City in April, and the money she hopes to raise from funniest person competition will help ensure that everyone who wants to go to New York will be able to afford it.

But more than that, Evans is hoping the competition will serve as a lure to draw in members of the community to become more involved in high school activities.

And, beyond that, "It just feels like a fund idea that can involve the whole community," Evans said Tuesday evening.

The try-outs for funniest person will be held Friday evening in the high school auditorium, Evans said. The auditions will begin at 7 p.m.

In order to take part in the auditions, would-be funniest person contestants must 1) show up at the school by 6:30 p.m. to register; 2) pay a $10 registration fee; 3) prepare material that is appropriate for ALL ages (emphasis in the original); 4) have a presentation prepared of between 3-5 minutes.

The auditions will be closed to the public, but contestants can bring one person into the audition to provide moral support, Evans said.

Three people have been engaged to serve as judges: former teacher Shea Jezek; First Selectman Mark B. Walter; and high school vice-principal Matthew Espinosa.

Their decisions will be final, Evans added.

Evans hopes to have between six and eight finalists chosen on Friday. The finals will be held at the school on Saturday, Jan. 28.

That night, each contestant will be expected to perform 10-15 minutes of comedy material, Evans said.

And she had chosen a unique way to vote in what is admittedly a unique contest.

Each contestant will have a container into which residents will cast their votes - at $1 per vote, Evans explained. The person with the most votes wins.

Both the winner and the first runner-up will be presented with trophies, Evans added.